Tips In Pairing
WHAT IF THE FOOD IS: SYNERGY: neither a wine nor food should
• Acidic: A dish with citrus or vinegar should be
paired with a acidic wine.
– Duck with oranges needs a more acidic
red wine than Duck with olives
• Salty: dishes with saltiness, such as soy sauce
or seaweed will make wines with tannins more
tannic and bitter.
• Sweet: If the food is sweeter than wine then the
wine will taste thin and tart.
– Ice cream is almost impossible to pair.
• Highly Seasoned or Spicy: These foods can
fatigue and numb the palate and the wine can
get lost.
– Wines with low tannins and low alcohol
levels are best
– Sweet wines contrast well
• Rich and Fatty Foods: Foods with cream
sauces, fatty steaks or rich fowl
– full bodied wines such as Chardonnay,
Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot or Syrah are
recommended
overpower the other
• Base Ingredients are the main portion of the dish (the Protein)
• Bridge Ingredients are those extras on a dish that add to the flavor
such as mushrooms, berries, beans and herbs such as ginger,
tarragon, cinnamon, cloves
• Cooking Method
– Grilling, Roasting, Sautéing and braising are preferred
methods to pair with wine
– poaching, Steaming or smoking limit the wine choices
• Easy Matches: Risotto and Chicken
• Difficult Matches: Asparagus, Artichokes, Strong Cheeses
– Chiles numb palate
– Eggs Mask wine flavors too much Unami
– Vinegar and Pickled foods can rob tastes and make wines
more astringent
• However balsamic and pickled ginger work well
MARRIAGES MADE IN HEAVEN
“the marriages between two exceptional beings are as
rare in gastronomy as they are in life.” Marc Meneau
‘Larousse des Vins et Vignobles de France’
Oysters and Chablis Roast Lamb and Bordeaux
Roquefort and Sauternes Stilton and Vintage Port
Sole and Burgundy Goat Cheese and Sancerre
Caviar and Champagne BBQ Ribs and Zinfandel
Stewed or Game Casseroles and Barolo
 Cooking Methods Wine Choices
Poaching or Steaming Light white wine: Chenin Blanc or
Pinot Grigio. Light fruity red:
Beaujolaise or Grenache rose
Frying Chardonnay, Riesling or Pinot Noir
Grilling Whites Chardonnay, Full bodied
White Rhone. Reds Pinot, Zin,
Merlot, Cab. W/ Beef Barolo or Syrah
from Rhone
BBQ Roses; Zinfandel, Merlots or New
world Tempranillos
Marinades New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc,
Chablis or Fruity Grenaches or
Tempranillos
Roasting Oaky Chardonnays, Rhone blends or
Gerwurtztraminers. Mourvedre,
Syrah, Grenache, Nebbiolos
Reduction Sauces Chardonnays and Rieslings
Cabernets and Syrahs
Braising and Stews Pinot Noir, Cabernets, Merlots
Red Wine Sauce Sangiovese, Cabernets, Pinot Noir
Stews w/ beer or stout Merlot, Beaujolaise, Red Burgundies
Notes
Use lighter weight wine, with non
tannin, non acidic and less intense
flavors
Best is a wine with some acidity to
contrast with the oils
Adds flavor; works well with fruity
oaky reds; Grilled beef needs tannic
wines
BBQ Sauce adds sweetness; less
tannic reds
Marinades usually have strong
flavors and require wines with bold
flavors
Roasting can be complex. Herbs and
spices will determine white or red.
Rosemary and Thyme = reds
If has powerful flavor need intense
wine; Drink w/ wine sauce is made
with
Use the wine used in the stock
Use the wine sauce is made of
Use low tannin reds so not to
overpower the beer flavor
FOOD TYPES Sparkling Sweet Wine Dry White Light Fruity Full Bodied
Wine Red Tannic Wine
Sweet Food No Effect, with The wine will Makes wine Increases Wine becomes
(Desserts, chocolate can taste dry if drier and more Acidity more bitter
Chocolate make wine food is acetic and tannic
Sweet Sauces)
taste bitter sweeter than
wine

Sour Foods Increases Makes wine If has more No effect Reduces

(Citrus, Vinegar, Sweetness bitter acid than wine tannins
Pickles & then wine will
Worchester)
taste sweeter

Salty Foods Wine becomes Wine will taste Makes wine No effect Reduces
(Feta, Soy sweeter sour sweeter Tannins
Sauce &
Seaweed)

Umami Foods Can become Wine gets lost Can make Can make A wine with
(Beef, MSG & metallic wine taste wines more equal to more
Shitake metallic tannic and unami is good;
Mushrooms)
bitter if it has less
could taste
tannic
SWEET ACIDIC FRUITY ACIDIC
WHITE WHITE RED RED

SALT SPICE

LEMON APPLE/SUGAR

PROTEIN CHOCOLATE